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Tag Archives: assistive

To help you stay up to date with the latest trends surrounding assistive technology, we have compiled the latest and most popular software, hardware and apps to support those with dyslexia and other disabilities. This will form part of a monthly update on the latest assistive technology on the Dyslexic.com blog. Please sign up to our newsletter to make sure you don’t miss June’s item >> http://ian.lt/1O2BAv9

Apps

The trends surrounding assistive technology in May have moved even closer towards apps for smartphones and tablet devices. New apps that have been released include support for those with dyslexia, dyscalculia,low vision and many more disabilities. Assistive Technology apps have become increasingly popular in the past year and are being used in environments such as schools and in the workplace. Whether they are being used on their own or to accompany a desktop version of software, assistive technology apps are a great tool to support those with disabilities.

iShould supports individuals with time-management difficulties, such as dyslexia. It offers anew way to organise and manage your activities, allowing you to plan, share and achieve your goals. The app works together with an online system where you can develop ideas and plan activities according to your personal preferences. The iShould app is available on iOS and Android devices.

CapturaTalk Junior is a literacy support app for iOS devices from iansyst and has been designed to assist younger users with dyslexia and other specific learning disabilities.The app includes the powerful Optical Character Recognition technology from ABBYY allowing users to take a photograph of printed text and convert this into digital text that can be edited in Word or other text editors. CapturaTalk Junior also contains accessibility features such as text-to-speech technology, coloured overlays and dyslexia friendly fonts.

Software and Hardware

The C-Pen Reader is a small, portable and lightweight scanning pen which supports those with reading difficulties such as dyslexia, or those learning English as a second language. The pen can be run across any printed text from books, newspapers, printed labels and more, and be read aloud from a naturally speaking English text-to-speech engine. This allows you to hear the correct pronunciations of words, as well as hear the word definition read aloud. The C-Pen Reader scanning pen is compatible with both PC and Mac, allowing users to transfer scanned text to a text editor.

Clicker 7 is a popular literacy support software which is designed to develop reading and writing skills in users of all ages and abilities. It features a wide range of writing tools including word prediction, realistic speech feedback and a built-in, child-friendly word processor. Clicker 7 is often used in schools as it contains a number of tools for teachers. One useful tool that is used is ‘Word Pool’ where teachers can add in unusual words or names to Clicker’s knowledge base to ensure it is recognised by the software.

The final new addition in the world of assistive technology are the Eye Lighter Reading Rulers which are now available as a 10 pack containing green, purple, orange, pink, blue and yellow reading rulers. The 6” transparent plastic highlighter helps you to maintain focus, concentration and comprehension whilst reading. The design of the Eye Lighter allows you to track 1, 2 or 3 lines at a time whilst also helping you to not lose your place or reread lines.

You can keep up to date with the latest assistive technology products right here on the Dyslexic.com blog. Alternatively, you can view more information from iansyst by following this link >> http://ian.lt/1SsdalA

As the power of computers increases, so too does the range of features that assistivetechnology solutions can offer. Each new version of a product can include moreand more exciting solutions to everyday problems that disabled people face.Below are just a few examples of some of the new developments that areavailable to purchase from iansyst.

ClaroRead is a popular text to speechsoftware package that has recently been updated to its seventh edition. ClaroRead 7 includes a range of upgradedfeatures that make it easier and more helpful than ever before. As you wouldexpect, it is fully compatible with both Microsoft 10 and windows edge. TheClaro voice setup gives you access to 80 different voices to choose from. Italso comes with an exciting new feature called Claro cloud, allowing you toinstall your software across multiple devices, for instance you could have oneat home, one at work and one at university so the software is always there when youneed it.

There is also anew addition to the range of Dragonvoice recognition products. DragonProfessional Individual builds on all the great features that are found inthe previous edition by introducing some exciting new features. It includes anew proofreading feature that plays back the original recording alongsidehighlighting the spoken work in the transcribed text. Making it quick and easyto make sure that your transcription is 100% accurate. In addition to this, anycustom words or commands that you set whilst using Dragon Professional Individual are now saved to the cloud, meaningthat they will work on any dragon product that you are logged into withouthaving to set them up again for each device.

For those thatfind text on a screen too small to read easily Supernova is an excellent solution that many people find helpful.Fully compatible with windows 10, and with touch screen machines. It allows youto magnify any aria of the screen up to 64 times. It also includes a screenreader that can read onscreen text, or can read aloud what you type, making ita comprehensive assistive tool for those with visual impairments.

If you have anyquestions about the above products. Or other solutions that we have to offer,feel free to give us a call. Our experienced team are always at hand to helpyou find the perfect solution to your needs.

As part of Dyslexia Awareness Week, we here at Dyslexic.com wanted to delve into some of the questions surrounding dyslexia…

What is dyslexia?

There are so many different definitions of dyslexia it’s sometimes difficult to keep up! Putting it simply, dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty that mainly affects reading and writing. It is a disability that affects approximately 1 in 10 people of all ages, races, backgrounds and abilities.

Each individual with dyslexia can be affected in a different way, but they tend to experience difficulties in the following areas:

Reading

Writing

Spelling

Expressing their ideas

Sequencing

Differentiating between left and right

Orientation

Short-term memory

Time Management

Organisation

It is, however, important to remember that many dyslexic individuals have strengths and talents that can be used to compensate for these difficulties. The British Dyslexia Association (BDA) state that they often have strong visual, creative and problem solving skills, and are prominent among entrepreneurs, inventors, architects, engineers and in the arts and entertainment world.

Where can I go for help if I have dyslexia?

Dyslexia is recognised as a disability under the Equality Act 2010, and therefore there is support available for individuals with dyslexia.

From 1st September 2014, The Children and Families Act and the new SEND Code of Practice came into effect. This act means that parents can now have a real say in decisions that affect their children and can challenge any decisions they disagree with. More information is set out in your Local Offer from your local authority. To find out more about what the SEND Reform means for you, please follow this link >> http://ian.lt/1nWOVPI

If you are a full-time or part-time student attending Higher Education, you may be eligible for the Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) grant. The DSA is a Government grant which helps to meet extra costs that you may face as a result of your disability or specific learning difficulty. This can pay for specialist equipment (a computer or assistive technology equipment), non-medical helpers, extra travel and other disability-related costs of studying. As of 2015, students are required to pay the first £200 of their order. You can find out more about the DSA by following this link >>http://ian.lt/1jCx3s8

If you are in employment, you may be eligible for the Access to Work (AtW) grant. This is a government grant that can pay for practical support if you have a disability, health or mental health condition. How much you receive will depend on your circumstances. The money can pay for things such as adaptations to the equipment you use, special equipment (assistive technology), travel costs, a support work or job coach, support services, disability awareness training for your colleagues, and more. You can find out more about AtW by following this link >> http://ian.lt/1VsfY5h

What is assistive technology and how can it help my dyslexia?

Assistive technology (AT) is extremely helpful for those with dyslexia and other disabilities. There is a wide range of AT available from www.dyslexic.com and throughout Dyslexia Awareness Week we will be posting a daily blog post to give an insight into the different types of AT and who it can support. To keep up to date with assistive technology and how it can help you, please follow us on Twitter and Facebook:

Yesterday Claro Software announced the release of a brand new version of their popular literacy support software, ClaroRead Version 7. ClaroRead is a hugely popular text-to-speech program that helps users of all ages and abilities to read and write. Version 7 has bought lots of new and improved features to the assistive technology software, making this version the best yet. It has been developed in line with Windows 10 and Microsoft Edge and is fully compatible with the new operating system.

ClaroRead Version 7 includes new features to enhance reading and proofing for users. You are now able to adjust text widths and add in one or two narrow columns, which can make long pieces of text easier to read. There is also a new option to remove highlighting which helps users to proofread without distraction. By using the ‘change text width’ and ‘highlight none’ options, your word processor transforms into a scrolling text reader.

Version 7 includes a number of bundled programmes, including Claro Voice Setup. This allows you to download up to 80 high-quality voices. The voices available include different accents and genders of English, plus French, German, Spanish and many other voices. This is extremely helpful for users where English is a second language (ESL). Claro AudioNote is also bundled into ClaroRead Version 7. This software helps users who struggle with notetaking and enables them to record meeting and lecture audio notes directly into their Microsoft Word documents or PowerPoint presentations. Recordings can be sent to Dragon NaturallySpeaking to be converted into editable text. Claro AudioNote helps users with dyslexia, where information is often difficult to take in. Other small programs are bundled into ClaroRead Version 7: ClaroIdeas (mind mapping tool), ScreenRuler (reading ruler and screen colour tinting tool) and ClaroCapture (study tool).

ClaroRead Cloud is a new and exciting feature that allows you to install your copy of ClaroRead onto multiple machines. This is very handy for those who need to use ClaroRead in the office or at school and at home. ClaroRead Cloud also enables those who have purchased ClaroRead for Windows to download ClaroRead for Mac (and vice versa).

The new version of ClaroRead also includes numerous improvements such as an updated phonetic and dyslexic spelling list – there are now 50,000 custom spelling corrections! A full list of new features and technical changes can be viewed on Claro Software’s Technical Support page.

This month, iansyst launched a brand new and exciting page on Dyslexic.com – a page dedicated to providing information about the latest assistive technology apps for iOS and Android phones and tablets! Assistive technology (AT) apps are becoming increasingly popular to help those with dyslexia, visual impairment, physical difficulties and many more disabilities. Whether they are being used on their own or to accompany a full desktop version, AT apps are a great tool to help make smartphones and tablets accessible. You can view the page here.

The page currently features a variety of app categories, including text-to-speech, concept mapping and notetaking support. Some of these you can even download for free on the App Store or Google Play. Our Apps page will continuously be updated to promote the ever growing range of apps on the market, so keep an eye out for future additions to the page.

The Apps page also features iansyst’s own apps that we have developed, including our popular literacy support app, AcceleRead AcceleWrite. AcceleRead AcceleWrite is a fun and easy to use, interactive certified remedial reading scheme designed for use on an iPad. The app provides ‘virtual’ cards, each with a series of sentences which the student will read one by one until they have memorised the sentence. They then tap on the screen to input the sentence exactly as it appeared to them. The integrated text-to-speech will enable them to listen to what they have typed to check for errors. This process is repeated until the sentence is correct and they can move onto the next level. There are eight levels of increasing difficulty and your progress is tracked in your results page, showing you how many attempts were made at each level and which levels have been completed.

iansyst are happy to provide support and advice about the ever growing range of apps and which could be beneficial to you. Please get in touch if you would like more information: